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OWLS – Symbology

The opening paragraph is written by me. The rest was collated from various websites, links for the original sources are posted beneath each extract.

Owls. I keep seeing owls.

I have just discovered that the crone is associated with winter and the owl is associated with the crone. Interesting that the Winter is associated with The Crone aspect of the Goddess and it is this winter, since January 1st actually, that Owls have been coming in thick and fast, live ones, dead ones, owls on tattoos, owls on t-shirts, owls on facebook videos, owls, owls owls…

In Hinduism, an owl is the vahana, mount, of the Goddess Lakshmi.

I have always associated owls with wisdom. This link goes back at least as far as Ancient Greece, where Athens, noted for art and scholarship, and Athena, Athens’ patron goddess and the goddess of wisdom, had the owl as a symbol.

But it’s all just data, just a story…

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Owls – Symbology and Mythology.
(Cailleach, Oidhche, Comachag)
The word “cailleach” in the Scottish-Gaelic means old woman!, “coileach-oidhche” is the word for owl, believe it or not it means “night-cockerel”! These birds were most often associated with the Crone aspect of the Goddess. The owl is often a guide to and through the Underworld, a creature of keen sight in darkness, and a silent and swift hunter. It can help unmask those who would deceive you or take advantage of you.
Owls are believed to have played a more prominent role in early Celtic cults, and could perhaps have derived from a more broadly based deity of a common European descent. Predating the Greek cult of Athene, for whom the owl was an animal attribute, were images of these mysterious birds in Celtic lands.

The owl is sacred to the Greek goddess of learning, Athena and is even depicted on some Greco-Roman currency as a symbol of status, intelligence and of course, wealth.

In ancient Egyptian, Celtic, and Hindu cultures the symbolic meaning of owl revolved around guardianship of the underworlds, and a protection of the dead.

In this light the owl was ruler of the night and seer of souls. A misunderstanding of this necessary relationship gave the owl some negative associations with death.

It should be clear that the owl was honored as the keeper of spirits who had passed from one plane to another. Often myth indicates the owl accompanying a spirit to the underworld – winging it’s newly freed soul from the physical world into the realm of spirit.

Being aware of the owl’s symbolic meanings is a good way to connect with this fascinating creatures, and also become more in-tune with the owl’s wisdom.

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-symbolism-owl.html
The owl spirit animal is emblematic of a deep connection with wisdom and intuitive knowledge. If you have the owl as totem or power animal, you’re likely to have the ability to see what’s usually hidden to most. When the spirit of this animal guides you, you can see the true reality, beyond illusion and deceit. The owl also offers for those who have it a personal totem the inspiration and guidance necessary to deeply explore the unknown and the magic of life.
Owl Symbolism

Symbolic meanings for the owl are:

Intuition, ability to see what others do not see
The presence of the owl announces change
Capacity to see beyond deceit and masks
Wisdom
The traditional meaning of the owl spirit animal is the announcer of death, most likely symbolic like a life transition, change

Owl Totem Quotes

“Don’t count your owls before they are delivered.”
Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter

“A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?”
Unknown

The owl spirit animal and the power to see in the dark

The owl sees in the dark: As a spirit animal, the owl guides you to see beyond the veil of deception and illusion; it helps see what’s kept hidden. It also symbolizes the ability to cut through illusions and see the real meaning of someone’s action or state of mind.

When the owl is one of your power animals, you have a strong intuition and can access information and wisdom that’s usually hidden to most. The spirit of this animal encourages you to look beyond deceiving appearances into the true reality of a situation or a person’s motives.

The owl is a strong spirit guide for discernment and making decision based solid foundations. Call on the owl totem when you have to assess a situation or are going through confusing times.

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One thought on “OWLS – Symbology”

Thank you, KP Kev. I enjoyed your article immensely. The weirdest thing is that I too have been seeing owls everywhere lately! Now I get it, anyway, I’m just starting a new blog, I might use some of your quotes-also about the new Imbolic moon. Cheers-Maggie